Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

No, but some of them have been answered as the other Deputies have raised similar issues. The Taoiseach made a commitment in the Dáil that no woman would have to go to court, yet we are continuously seeing court cases. It is important there is an understanding of what the State can and cannot do in respect of court cases. Does the State have the legal standing to take a court case against the labs concerned? It is important we get some understanding of why that commitment was made and why it has not been followed through.

The Minister mentioned the ex gratiapayments. Timing is really important for some of the women involved. They do not even have the money to have their slides tested independently. It is important those payments are put in place without a delay. On securing alternative doctors, was there a reasonable expectation that would be done if someone has lost confidence in a consultant and cannot secure access to another?That is a real issue for a woman very worried about her health.

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